20 



On Changes of Form in the Red Corpuscles of Human 

 Blood. — By William Addison, M.D._, F.H.S. 



(Communicated by Dr. Lankester. Eead December 12th, 1860.) 



When freshly drawn, human blood is examined with a 

 microscope, the form in which the red corpuscles appear is well 

 known. The greater part of these bodies adhere together in 

 rolls, a few floating singly in the blood-fluid, or liquor 

 sanguinis. 



(Plate III, fig. 1.) We may call this form the normal form. 

 But occasionally, without anything having been added to the 

 blood, the forms depicted as alkaline forms (fig. 2) may be 

 seen. 



These rough or prickly forms (fig. 2) are with certainty 

 produced by fresh urine, by a weak solution of common salt, 

 and by various liquids rendered slightly alkaline with solution 

 of potash. On the other hand, the forms represented in fig. 3 

 are determined by adding to the blood a solution of sugar 

 and liquids rendered feebly acid by hydrochloric acid, or by 

 lemon or orange juice. 



The tailed forms (fig. 4) occur when blood is submitted to 

 the action of sherry wine. 



Make a saline solution by dissolving one grain of common 

 salt in two fluid drachms of water, and render it very slightly 

 alkaline with solution of potash; also dissolve four grains 

 of refined sugar in two fluid drachms of water, and render it 

 slightly acid to litmus paper with the diluted hydrochloric 

 acid of the London Pharmacopoeia. 



Receive a small drop of fresh blood upon a slip of glass, and 

 place near to, but not touching it, a similar amount of the 

 saline alkaline solution ; also place in a like manner, on the 

 other side of the blood, an equal quantity of the acid-sugar 

 solution; drop down upon the three fluids a thin piece of 

 glass, so that the alkaline fluid may come into contact with 

 one side of the drop of blood, and the acid fluid into contact 

 with the opposite side of it. 



Upon examination with the microscope, the forms of the 

 corpuscles which float out into the alkaline fluid will be found 

 quite difiFerent from those which float out into the acid fluid. 

 Those in the alkaline fluid have roughened outlines (fig. 2), 

 whereas those in the acid liquid have smooth outlines, and a 

 bright matter, of sundry forms, makes its appearance in their 

 interior (fig. 3) . If the corpuscles be followed as they continue 



